Eco life – eco death

Staff at the Dorset Funeral Plan, organised by six local funeral directors, says there has been a move away from traditional funerals. They have noticed a large increase in requests for green funerals in the last five years.

Funeral Director Nicholas Douch said: “People are becoming much more environmentally conscious, even in death. We often hear from people with children or grandchildren that they wish to protect the environment for future generations.

“Bamboo, banana leaf, sea grass or hyacinth coffins are becoming hugely popular – that’s because unlike an oak tree which takes hundreds of years to grow and a long time to decompose, these are fast growing renewable materials.

“Most of the coffins are handmade without glue or varnish so they are completely natural. We have also seen a rise in requests for willow coffins. And those that opt for an environmentally friendly funeral tend to request woodland burial.”

Although traditional funerals have remained very popular, directors at The Dorset Funeral Plan say there has been a shift away from traditional mourning in black to celebrating life.

“Funerals have become much more personal”, added Mr Douch. “We have people requesting personalised coffins such as the colours of a supported football team.

“There is a company who can put cremated remains into a diamond for jewellery – you can even have your cremated remains blasted into space, and we have requests for a Harley Davidson Hearse or silver vehicles. We do get some unusual requests but whatever someone asks for we try and make happen.

“In the years to come I envisage traditional funerals becoming the unusual – but there will always be traditionalists out there for whom a church service and horse-drawn hearse remain the most poignant way to say goodbye.”

Dorset Funeral Plan is a collection of independent Dorset funeral directors working to help people plan and pay for their funerals. They include A.E Jolliffe & Son, Albert Marsh, F.C. Douch & Sons, Ives & Shand Funeral Service, James Smith and Lesley Shand Funeral Service.

They’re based in Ferndown, Wareham, Poole, Wimborne, Swanage and Corfe Mullen.